


Careless Kissing

by halfwayhopeful



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Humor, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, M/M, Pining, Post-War, Romance, Severus Snape Lives, TikTok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:08:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25141420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfwayhopeful/pseuds/halfwayhopeful
Summary: Harry Potter has a crush on his law enforcement partner, Severus Snape. Snape uses a Hogwarts trend to his advantage.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Severus Snape
Comments: 2
Kudos: 106





	Careless Kissing

  
…

  


Snape wasn’t conventionally attractive. He wasn’t even what Harry would call ‘decent looking’, but he could feel an attraction to the old bat, harbored somewhere in his gut, and there wasn’t much to be done about it. Snape tolerated Harry at the _best_ of times. There had been a few moments when he’d managed to catch Snape off guard with a sharp comeback (and the smirk had been worth it), but they were few and far between. Harry didn’t want to sacrifice a decent work relationship for a few stolen moments, especially when their shared past wasn’t exactly sterling.

  
…

  
“Have you heard of this dare going around Hogwarts?” Ron mumbled around a piece of toast one morning at Grimmauld Place.

  
Harry glanced over the Quibbler he’d been skimming to raise a brow. “I don’t think so.”

  
“You’re supposed to kiss your friends and see if they respond. It sounds stupid, right?”

  
Harry stared, deadpanning, “Please don’t kiss me, Ron. I don’t think Hermione will take it very well.” He ducked as a chunk of toast came sailing his way, grinning. “What am I supposed to think? Besides, we already kissed that one time, and nothing happened.”

  
“What was that?” Hermione said as she breezed into the kitchen, and Ron went tomato red, grabbing another piece of toast and darting out of the room.

  
“Nothing, mother.” Harry sing-songed. “Just that Hogwarts students are daring each other to kiss friends. As if that’s a new thing.”

  
Hermione smirked at that and served herself a plate. “I don’t think Ron would have ever made a move if I hadn’t kissed him first.”

  
“What?!” Harry stared. “ _That_ was your first kiss? Ron told me it was in the library!”

  
“It _was_ in the library. I already knew he liked me, and I went for it.”

  
“Hmm.” Harry stole a piece of bacon from her plate. “How did you know for sure, after all those years?”

  
Hermione pinned him with a suspicious look. “Snape?”

  
“Good lord, woman. Just answer the question!”

  
“Well . . . I noticed that he was flustered anytime we were close. He stared at my mouth while we were talking, and he didn’t pull away when I leaned in.”

  
“That’s it?”

  
“Well, he’d already said my name in his sleep. I knew he liked me already, I just wasn’t sure if he’d ever do anything about it.”

  
Harry sighed. “It was easier with Cho and Ginny. I already knew they liked me, too . . . Part of me is worried he’ll brush me off because of my age, or my parents, or our work, or-”

  
“Harry!” Hermione tossed a bit of toast at him, which he caught and popped into his mouth. “You’re talking yourself out of it. Just watch him a little more closely. If you’re still not sure, just go for it.”

  
“And end up poisoned at our next lunch date? I think not.”

  
“Wait, you have lunch dates? Outside of the Ministry?”

  
“Of course! The curry in the Caf is pitiful.”

  
Hermione just stared, and Harry couldn’t help but laugh at how absurd it sounded. “Okay, okay. I’ll keep an eye on him. But I might need your help deciphering.”

  
“Of course. Honestly, it’s what I’m good at.”

  
…

  
Harry had decided after defeating Voldemort that he didn’t _want_ to run around throwing curses and chasing after dark wizards as an Auror. His intuition at Hogwarts wasn’t just ‘dumb luck’, but something that could be developed and used for the greater good. He wanted to help people by stopping crime in the early stages and profiling serial offenders. Or at least, that’s what he told himself when confronted with a particularly hard case, or a desk full of paperwork.

  
Harry hadn’t wanted to settle down and get married right away, either. Ginny hadn’t taken it too well; she said she had waited around for him long enough. After several long discussions, and a failed attempt at a romantic elopement, they’d split for good. He followed her Hollywood Harpy’s games in the paper and sent her congratulatory gifts whenever they won, hoping to maintain a friendship.

  
He’d been working alongside Snape for about a year now, in the reformed Law Enforcement department, which was surprisingly more about paperwork and investigative skills than he’d originally thought.  
It had been quite a surprise when Snape had emerged from the post-war shadows and demanded a meeting with Kingsley Shacklebolt, the interim Minister. He’d survived Nagini’s attack with antivenin and a bit of luck (no thanks to Harry, he liked to mention). His voice was raspy and his gait stiffer than before, but he was still the same ornery bastard, and walked with his head high, scarred neck visible as if to ward off the general public. The papers had lambasted him. He symbolized a Death Eater who literally got away with murder, and he’d had the audacity to request a position in Law Enforcement, of all things. After the trial and Harry’s testimony, Snape had been cleared of all charges and awarded an Order of Merlin, second class. He’d gotten the job, too.

  
…

  
Harry stepped into their joint office and narrowly avoided a paper memo as it sailed by. It landed on Snape’s desk, and the older man opened it with a scowl.

  
“What is it?” Harry called over his shoulder as he hung up his coat and set down his bag, feeling jittery.

  
“It appears that Hogwarts is experiencing a . . . kissing epidemic. Cold sores, sore throats, among other things. Idiots, the lot of them.”

  
“You never kissed your friends on a dare?” Harry grumbled.

  
“Exactly how many friends do you think I had, Potter?”

  
Harry turned with a thoughtful look. “I’m not sure if books count, so-”

  
“Your mother hexed me when I tried, and we never mentioned it again.” Snape said airily, standing with a flourish. “None of the Slytherins wanted to kiss the half-blood among them.” He smirked. “I’m going to Hogwarts to assess the damage and aid in brewing. Would you like to meet for a late lunch?”

  
Harry swallowed thickly and tried to notice if Snape was staring at his mouth. He wasn’t. Snape wasn’t even looking at Harry, tying a scarf around his throat in the mirror.

  
“Yeah, that sounds great. Hogsmeade or London?”

  
“I don’t have a preference. Anything but here.” Snape caught Harry’s gaze in the mirror. Harry stared at his lips, trying to imagine what they would feel like, but they just looked chapped.

  
“Something wrong, Potter?”

  
“Uh, you can borrow my lip balm. I must have a hundred lying around.” Harry opened his desk drawer and frowned as several rolled forward.

  
Snape turned around with that rough laugh that Harry’d only heard a handful of times. “That would be a bit counterintuitive, considering the circumstances. You may have herpes and be asymptomatic.”

  
“That’s the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said to me.” Harry grinned, and Snape shook his head.

  
“You need a date, Potter. Desperately.”

  
“You’re telling me!” Harry called after him, and he watched Snape walk away until he turned down the hallway. Harry leaned against his desk and sighed. He had a lot of work to do, really. And no motivation to do it. Except that Kingsley would be expecting it, and Snape would rip him a new one if he didn’t.

  
Harry drifted over to Snape’s desk, careful not to touch anything (the man was still paranoid, after all.) His framed Order or Merlin was in one corner, a picture of himself and Lily Potter on the other, although it appeared to be a Muggle photograph and they were quite young. A small cellphone that Snape kept for calls from the nearby Muggle precinct stood on its charger, a fancy bit of spell-work and electricity that Harry had rigged himself. The local police chief was a Squib, something they’d discovered when he’d paid them a visit to discuss expediting repeat offenders.

  
Scattered on the desk: an inkpot and quill, a Muggle pen of all things, and a lip balm. Harry steeled himself and grabbed the lip balm. Nothing happened. It was the same brand he used, and he smiled to himself and swiped a bit on. Snape probably wouldn’t notice. What would he do, take it back? Harry chuckled to himself, cast a Patronus for his lunch date with Snape, and sat wearily at his desk to toil until the afternoon. 

  
…

  
“Late as usual.” Snape grumbled as Harry sat down, in their usual booth at a Muggle fish and chip shop Harry adored near Spinner’s End. “You set the time, Potter. What happened?”

  
“It’s a longer walk than I remembered.” Harry shot back, though he noticed Snape had ordered for them already, knowing exactly what he liked. “What do I owe you?”

  
“A life debt.” Snape smirked, and took a long pull of his beer.

  
“Alright, I’ll save your life right now. Stop drinking on the job before someone sees you. You’ll get us both in trouble.”

  
“I survived two wars and am now an Officer. I can drink whenever I want. Besides, it’s tradition.”

  
Harry rolled his eyes and snatched the ticket off the table, walking to the window just as Macy, the shop owner, placed their baskets on the line.

  
“Oh, hello dear! Back with your daddy?”

  
Harry blushed, hard. “Oh, he’s not . . . We work together.”

  
“Oh, I’m sorry, dear. I just thought-”

  
“It’s alright. Uh, thank you.” Harry grabbed both baskets and slid into the booth, taking a sip of his Coca-Cola and studying the table.

  
“Did you finish the report on the Growley case?”

  
“Yeah, I submitted it this morning. Kings said they’ll put together an operation and let us know if they need anything else.”

  
Snape hummed and dug in, making generous use of the malt vinegar on the table. Harry frowned, looking up to study the man. ‘ **I still want to kiss him. Strange.** ’

  
“How did it go at the school?” Harry ventured, taking his first bite and moaning a little.

  
He looked at Snape expectantly and found the man staring at him. Harry frowned, reaching for a napkin, sure he had something on his face. “That bad, huh?”

  
“Nothing terrible." Snape coughed. "We were able to procure enough anti-viral and sore shrinking potions to stem the infection rate, but I had the pleasure of addressing the students over lunch about the dangers of careless kissing.”

  
Harry smirked. “I can imagine. Did you miss commanding the attention of dunderheads?”

  
“Not particularly. I wish children were wise enough to avoid unnecessary risk.”

  
“Well, there would be no Gryffindor children, if that were the case.”

  
Snape shrugged. “No great loss, I would imagine.”

  
Harry shook his head and moved to grab the salt, at the same moment as Snape, apparently. Their hands brushed and Harry felt a jolt, his heart skipping a beat. He cleared his throat and pulled away with a mumbled ‘Sorry’. Snape raised a brow and sprinkled a liberal amount over both their baskets.

  
“Come now, Potter. You’re acting like a schoolgirl. What’s come over you?”

  
“I used your lip balm this morning. Was it poisoned?”

  
“What?”

  
“I found one on your desk and I couldn’t stop myself. Was it?”

  
Snape laughed then, a surprised bark of a laugh. “Why would I poison my partner in the office? The Chosen One, no less? They would sentence me for life without a trial! Don’t mistake, I’ve thought of offing you before, but nothing so obvious. What makes you think I would poison the lip balm?”

  
“Well, you’re a Potions Master and you never seem to use it yourself, so I-”

  
“I bought it in the first place because you never stop applying it. You add more every twenty minutes, and I know, because I’ve timed you doing it. I was curious what the appeal was, but I can’t be damned to remember to apply it.”

  
Harry stared at Snape’s smirking face and sighed. It was truly hopeless. Snape clearly thought he was stupid and enjoyed antagonizing him too much to ever be attracted to him. Harry slid out of the booth and walked out of the shop, hearing Snape shout after him, but too embarrassed to care. He didn’t need to look for signs. It was clear that Snape didn’t respect him and wasn’t interested in anything other than a cordial work relationship. Hermione was going to-

  
Harry stiffened as someone pulled him into an alley, brandishing his wand before fully registering that it was Snape who had pulled him aside.

  
“Don’t hex me, Harry. Not yet.”

  
Harry stilled at that. Snape’d called him by his given name.

  
“Let me go, Snape. I’ve embarrassed myself enough for one day, yeah?”

  
“Perhaps.” Snape stared down at him, flushed a little, and Harry realized they were chest to chest. They’d never been this close outside of a dire situation. “Would you say we’re friends?”

  
Harry frowned, puzzled. “I don’t understand.”

  
“Would. You. Say. We are. Friends?”

  
“I’d like to think so.” Harry murmured, thoroughly confused.

  
Snape closed the distance between them, cocking his head slightly and kissing Harry, who froze like a rabbit under spotlight. Was this real? Was this a potion induced fantasy?

  
Harry decided after a moment that he didn’t care, and opened his mouth a little, coaxing Snape’s with his tongue. He was rewarded with a groan, and a questing tongue in return. Harry cautiously brought a hand up to cup Snape’s jaw, stroking the stubble he found there, and Snape pressed him firmly against the wall, framing him between his legs. Harry felt a bit lightheaded, pulling back for air and thumping his head on the brick behind him. They stared to a long moment, sharing breaths.

  
“How long?” Snape rasped, licking his lips.

  
Harry felt like he may float away, but held on and gathered his courage. “Months. I wasn’t sure how to say it. I didn’t want to make things awkward.”

  
“It’s going to be more than awkward if we decide to go any further.” Snape rumbled, nuzzling Harry’s hair with his nose. “What you want from me?

  
“Anything.” Harry breathed, then had to chuckle at his own excitement. “I’m not sure what I want.”

  
Snape brought up a hand, stroking Harry’s neck with a slender thumb. Harry shivered, growing hard as he imagined what those hands could do to him.

  
“Does that excite you, Potter?”

  
“Mmm.” Harry went for another kiss, but Snape pulled back with a smirk.

  
“We need to get back to work. Kingsley will be suspicious if we don’t return from lunch.”

  
Harry sighed, sliding a hand between them to feel Snape’s erection. Well, if there had been one.

  
“Not so fast." Snape murmured, brushing Harry's lips with his own. "I’m older than you and on four different potions. I want . . . what you want.”

  
“When?”

  
“I haven’t the slightest idea. We can decide after work.”

“You might change your mind.”

  
“We both might.”

  
Harry nodded and Snape pulled away, adjusting his robes, and reaching to adjust Harry’s, too.

  
“I’ll see you in the office, Potter.”

  
“It's Harry . . . Severus.”

  
“Harry.”

...


End file.
